States with the most adults of retirement age still working

By Stacker

Published March 22, 2023 10:50 AM

Aruta Images // Shutterstock

States with the most adults of retirement age still working

Mature businesswoman reading documents.

For many Americans, the typical life plan has long been school, work, retirement at 65, and living comfortably. But not as many people are traveling that path anymore.

Nearly 19% of people of retirement age—65 years or older—remain in the workforce. In fact, Americans over 55 are the only age group that increased its labor force participation rate from 2001 to 2021. Projections expect that trend to continue into the next decade.

Many simply don’t want to retire because they enjoy what they do and don’t want to slow down. Some find that retirement doesn’t suit them and return to work to add meaning to their lives.

Others work because they can’t afford retirement. According to the Economic Policy Institute, roughly one-third of workers aged 55 to 64 don’t have access to a retirement savings plan. Those who rely solely on Social Security benefits may find they don’t cover all of their living expenses. Major unplanned expenses like medical bills can also keep people in the workforce.

Stacker used 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau to find what share of each state’s retirement-age population, those 65 and older, still participate in the labor force. Labor force statistics are calculated based on the civilian noninstitutional population, meaning those adults who are not incarcerated or in long-term medical facilities. It’s helpful to note that age 65 is the typical age for retirement, as it’s the age to qualify for Medicare.

Continue reading to find out whether your state has the most adults of retirement age still at work.

Susanne Pommer // Shutterstock

#51. South Carolina

Downtown Charleston street view.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 14% (142,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.6% (967,223 people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#50. West Virginia

Charleston skyline on the Kanawha River.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 14.8% (56,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 20.7% (368,775 people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#49. Mississippi

Biloxi Lighthouse on a clear day.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 14.9% (73,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.8% (496,945 people)

Tim Roberts Photography // Shutterstock

#48. Arizona

Tempe lake and downtown.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 15.1% (195,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.3% (1.33 million people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#47. Alabama

Birmingham skyline at dusk.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 15.8% (137,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.6% (885,809 people)

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Brian Wilson Photography // Shutterstock

#46. Tennessee

Downtown Nashville in autumn.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 16% (194,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.0% (1.19 million people)

f11photo // Shutterstock

#45. Kentucky

Downtown Louisville buildings and bridge.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 16.1% (123,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.0% (768,416 people)

turtix // Shutterstock

#44. New Mexico

Albuquerque residential suburbs.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 16.3% (65,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.5% (391,797 people)

Eduardo Medrano // Shutterstock

#43. Arkansas

Little Rock skyline in afternoon.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 16.6% (91,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.4% (525,153 people)

mariakray // Shutterstock

#42. Florida

Seafront beach promenade in Fort Lauderdale.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 16.7% (744,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 21.1% (4.60 million people)

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Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#41. Delaware

Aerial view with early morning light in downtown Wilmington.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.1% (35,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 20.1% (201,551 people)

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#39. Michigan (tie)

Pedestrians walking in downtown Ann Arbor.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.2% (319,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.1% (1.82 million people)

photo.ua // Shutterstock

#39. Ohio (tie)

Cincinnati downtown skyline and bridge.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.2% (373,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.8% (2.10 million people)

Brett Barnhill // Shutterstock

#37. Georgia (tie)

Aerial view of Atlanta metro and highways.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.4% (279,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 14.7% (1.59 million people)

Charles Knowles // Shutterstock

#37. Idaho (tie)

Skyline of downtown Boise.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.4% (56,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.5% (314,010 people)

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kan_khampanya // Shutterstock

#35. Washington (tie)

Elevated view of Seattle Space Needle and downtown.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.8% (213,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.2% (1.25 million people)

marchello74 // Shutterstock

#35. Illinois (tie)

Chicago neighborhood buildings and city skyline on sunny autumn day.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 17.8% (373,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.6% (2.10 million people)

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#34. Oregon

Portland cityscape from Pittock Mansion.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 18% (148,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.6% (789,896 people)

ESB Professional // Shutterstock

#33. Pennsylvania

Pittsburg cityscape over the Allegheny River.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 18.3% (466,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 19.0% (2.46 million people)

Joe Hendrickson // Shutterstock

#32. Missouri

Aerial view of The Gateway Arch and riverfront in downtown St. Louis.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 18.6% (203,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.6% (1.08 million people)

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Ryan DeBerardinis // Shutterstock

#31. New York

Crowds of people walk across 3rd Avenue in Manhattan.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 18.9% (669,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.5% (3.48 million people)

Derek Olson Photography // Shutterstock

#30. North Carolina

Asheville skyline in the fall.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.1% (367,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.0% (1.80 million people)

TFoxFoto // Shutterstock

#29. Louisiana

Canal Street streetcar in downtown New Orleans.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.3% (147,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.6% (766,330 people)

KYPhua // Shutterstock

#27. Indiana (tie)

Indianapolis skyline seen from canal walkway.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.5% (219,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.4% (1.12 million people)

TierneyMJ // Shutterstock

#27. California (tie)

Aerial view of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.5% (1.18 million people)
– Population ages 65+: 15.2% (5.96 million people)

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Sherry V Smith // Shutterstock

#26. Virginia

People walk along the oceanfront boardwalk and resort area in Virginia Beach.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.6% (277,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.3% (1.41 million people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#25. Oklahoma

Oklahoma City downtown skyline in the late afternoon.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.7% (126,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.2% (645,174 people)

Canva

#24. Texas

Aerial view of Austin skyline.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 19.9% (788,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 13.2% (3.89 million people)

Tony Savino // Shutterstock

#21. Wisconsin (tie)

Milwaukee cityscape with Art Museum with the Northwestern Mutual building.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 20.1% (205,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.9% (1.05 million people)

Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock

#21. Maine (tie)

Portland Head Lighthouse and coastline.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 20.1% (63,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 21.7% (297,101 people)

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#21. Nevada (tie)

Aerial view of Carson City skyline and capitol building.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 20.1% (114,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.5% (519,568 people)

Canva

#20. Utah

Salt Lake City downtown street.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 20.9% (79,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 11.6% (388,120 people)

Paul Gana // Shutterstock

#18. Colorado (tie)

Elevated view of Grand Junction and the Colorado River.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 21% (182,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 15.1% (880,167 people)

f11photo // Shutterstock

#18. New Jersey (tie)

Aerial view of Jersey CIty at sunset.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 21% (341,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.9% (1.56 million people)

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

#17. Montana

View of Missoula from Mount Sentinel.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 21.1% (49,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 19.7% (217,298 people)

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#16. New Hampshire

Aerial view of Market Square and North Church in Portsmouth.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22% (65,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 19.3% (267,741 people)

MNStudio // Shutterstock

#13. Hawaii (tie)

Honolulu waterfront and cityscape.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22.1% (62,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 19.6% (282,567 people)

C Model // Shutterstock

#13. Wyoming (tie)

City of Jackson Hole and surrounding landscape.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22.1% (23,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.9% (103,822 people)

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#13. Massachusetts (tie)

Cape Cod seashore viewed from Pilgrim Monument.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22.1% (271,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.4% (1.22 million people)

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#12. North Dakota

Aerial view of Grand Forks.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22.7% (29,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.0% (123,840 people)

Big Joe // Shutterstock

#11. Rhode Island

The Manchester Street Power Station smokestacks and Providence skyline.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 22.9% (48,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.3% (200,201 people)

Grindstone Media Group // Shutterstock

#10. Iowa

Des Moines cityscape and sculpture park.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 23.3% (130,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 17.8% (567,581 people)

Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#9. Maryland

Aerial view of Annapolis and Statehouse.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 23.4% (234,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.3% (1.00 million people)

ostreetphotography // Shutterstock

#7. Minnesota (tie)

Downtown Minneapolis overlooking Mississippi River

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 23.5% (215,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.8% (959,272 people)

Orhan Cam // Shutterstock

#7. Washington D.C. (tie)

Pennsylvania Avenue and US Capitol.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 23.5% (20,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 12.8% (85,615 people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#6. Kansas

River and Keeper of the Plains statue near downtown Wichita.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 23.8% (116,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.7% (489,676 people)

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#5. Connecticut

Skyline of downtown Hartford from above Charter Oak Landing.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 24.3% (164,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 18.0% (649,172 people)

Mary Swift // Shutterstock

#4. Alaska

Mount Juneau and the city of Juneau.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 24.7% (24,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 13.4% (98,410 people)

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#2. Nebraska (tie)

Aerial view of Lincoln in autumn.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 25% (77,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 16.4% (322,833 people)

haveseen // Shutterstock

#2. Vermont (tie)

Montpelier city skyline.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 25% (36,000 people)
– Population ages 65+: 20.6% (133,173 people)

Steven Frame // Shutterstock

#1. South Dakota

Tourists visit Falls Park in Sioux Falls.

– Labor force participation among ages 65+: 26.7% (Estimated 42,000)
– Population ages 65+: 17.6% (157,883 people)

Note: Labor force participation data for South Dakota seniors was not available from BLS, so Stacker used data from a South Dakota Department of Labor report. Stacker estimated the state’s 65+ labor force based on available Census Bureau data. Since the data comes from two sources, there may be some discrepancies in actual values and comparisons.

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